#29: The future of ranching starts here

Sustainability, land preservation, friendliness toward wolves and coyotes—these are not things you associate with a sheep ranch. But at Lava Lake Lamb, a conservation-obsessed, almost-million-acre ranch near Sun Valley, Idaho, they’re cornerstones. Even better, what’s good for the land is good for business: The free-range lambs graze on everything from sagebrush to alpine herbs, which makes them lean and flavorful. And following the notion that a happy lamb is a healthy one, the animals stay with their mothers. The brainchild of two San Franciscans with a passion for conservation, Lava Lake Lamb essentially raises animals as they were in the past. lavalakelamb.com